Announced in June 2019 at WWDC, the long-awaited macOS Catalina will be the 16th major release for Apple's operating system. There are tons of new features to be shipped, covering everything from iPad compatibility (Catalyst makes it easy to port iPad apps to Mac) to security (Gatekeeper will require Apple-notarized Developer ID for apps) to entertainment (new apps for Podcasts, TV, and Music), besides the usual improvements to all the native software.
May 12, 2020 I want to use Files On Demand to keep the space free and potentially speed things up. I’m on a personal late 2009 Intel iMac running macOS Catalina (10.3.5). However, the Files On Demand option isn’t available. Oct 13, 2019 Before we update to macOS Catalina 1. Backup the Mac computer with Time Machine. Check the available storage space on your Mac to ensure at least 30 GB available storage. Otherwise, you will need to remove some content from your Mac to clean up the storage space. If you don't have an idea how to clean up your Mac.
While macOS Catalina is scheduled to be released sometime around September, the public beta is already available, so everyone can try all the new functionality without the wait. Read through our step-by-step guide to learn how to install macOS Catalina public beta.
Is My Mac Compatible With macOS Catalina?
Regardless of whether you want to install the beta or wait for the official public release, one question will inevitably pop up in your head — is my Mac compatible with macOS Catalina? Good question! Let’s look at the Mac OS Catalina compatibility chart to find out.
List of macOS Catalina supported Macs
Overall, due to the numerous efficiency improvements under the hood, macOS Catalina supported Macs are nearly identical to those of macOS Mojave:
- MacBook (2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (2012 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 or later)
- iMac (2012 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later)
- Mac Pro (2013 or later)
- Mac mini (2012 or later)
The only difference you might find is the new Mac OS Catalina requirements not covering Mac Pros ranging from 2010 to 2012. So unless you have that specific Mac Pro model you should be able to try the new operating system.
However, in case your Mac is on the older side, barely managing to load the macOS won’t result in a pleasant experience. For example, Apple specifies that running 4K as well as Dolby Atmos content will only be possible with Macs introduced in 2018 or later that boast 4K screens.
But don’t hurry to the Apple Store just yet. If watching videos in 4K is not an absolute necessity, you could simply optimize the Mac you have for faster performance and run macOS Catalina without a problem.
What are macOS Catalina storage requirements?
To run properly, macOS Catalina needs a considerable amount of disk space. It’s generally recommended to keep at least 15% of your main drive free. But remember, you’ll also need space for future macOS updates and all the new software that goes with Catalina. So you should think of freeing up storage way beforehand, while you’re still on Mojave or other older OS.
The general space goals to aim for here:
- 15–20 GB of free storage.
- 4 GB of RAM.
Upgrade smoothly: remove outdated system files
The best way to rise above the basic Mac OS Catalina requirements is to do a thorough scan of your Mac and purge all the useless data that you’ve accumulated over the years. Quite a hefty task if you choose to do it manually: your Mac has a ton of system files and invisible folders that require the use of Terminal to get to. Luckily, there's a software designed to take care of it all automatically.
CleanMyMac X is the easiest and the most thorough way to bring your Mac back to its pristine original state. In fact, the app is so helpful and intuitive that it was recognized as the “#1 Product of the Month” by Product Hunt.
Here are the kind of files you should try to get rid of:
- User and system cache files.
- System and user log files.
- Language files.
- Broken login items.
To do so with CleanMyMac X, simply:
- Download the free version of the app.
- In the sidebar, navigate to System Junk and hit Scan.
- Review Details and then Clean anything you don’t need.
Even though I’ve been using CleanMyMac X on a regular basis, the System Junk scan has revealed over 11 GB of files I no longer need. Imagine how much dead weight your Mac can carry!
Maximize your storage space
Once you clean your Mac from all the system and user-generated junk, you’ll notice improvements in responsiveness and speed right away. But it’s not only outdated files that slow your Mac down.
To hit all macOS Catalina system requirements, you need to have as much of your hard drive free as possible. This might include, for example, legitimate but long-forgotten documents you haven’t opened in years.
The good news is you can see what’s taking up your hard drive capacity with a new feature in CleanMyMac X called Space Lens, which creates an interactive visual map of all your files and folders:
Available Space For Mac Catalina Beach
- Open up CleanMyMac X (or download for free here).
- Go to Space Lens under the Files tab.
- Hit Scan and wait for the process to finish.
- Explore all the interactive bubbles and remove the folders you no longer need.
With no extra system files or unused heavy folders dragging you down, your older Mac will become brand new again, agile enough to take on the new macOS Catalina as it becomes available this fall. Best of all, just one app — CleanMyMac X — can do it all for you.
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Instead of working hard, Apple chooses to work smart (for the most part, looking at you, G4 Cube). Instead of making your hard drive bigger, they’ve tackled the problem of limited space on your Mac with cloud storage. Which, in its turn, created a slice on your storage bar named “Purgeable”. Now let’s take a look at how did that come about.
What is Purgeable disk space on Mac?
Purgeable storage consists of files that macOS deems suitable for removal. Something that can be literally purged away from your drive and cause no trouble. The appearance of Purgeable storage is connected to the feature of Optimized storage in macOS. When Optimized storage is turned on, loads of files get moved into the cloud and for some of them, actual presence on your drive is optional. But for which exactly?
Which files are considered Purgeable?
Nobody can be a hundred percent sure, but the main guess is that these are both your files and system-generated files that comply with two criteria:
- They’re like really old and you haven’t opened/used them in a while.
- They are synced with iCloud so their original file can be removed from your Mac.
Purgeable files can be of any type. From watched movies in your iTunes to applications languages you’ve never used.
But what renders them purgeable and what does it mean? The system finds these files and knows that when you start running out of space and you have your Optimized Storage turned on, it can remove these files to give you more space.
How do I view my Purgeable Storage?
You can see how much space your macOS can purge in a number of places:
- The first option, and the most visual one is your native storage tab. To access it choose About This Mac in the Apple menu then switch to the Storage tab.
- In the Status Bar of your Finder when it’s turned on (to turn it on click on View and then Show Status Bar).
- Another way would be to click on Go in the top menu, choose Computer right-click on your hard drive > Get Info
- Also, View > Options panel will turn on the display of hard disks on the Desktop.
- Finally, you can simply ask Siri how much free space you have left.
How to clear Purgeable space on Mac?
You don’t usually need to delete purgeable space on your own, but if it really bugs you, jump to the next headline. Purgeable space is labeled so that you know: whenever there’s a free-space issue, you’re safe because your macOS will automatically clear up that purgeable space and it will become free space instead.
The only thing you need to do to have your macOS removing these files when it’s needed is to have your Optimized Storage turned on. To do it, go to the Storage tab in About This Mac menu and click Manage. Now you can turn any option you’d like to be synced with iCloud. You can read more on Optimized Storage and how to use it.
Catalina Os For Mac
Is there a way to force remove Purgeable space on Mac?
Available Space For Mac Catalina Bay
Yup. It’s pretty easy and all you need is a Mac maintenance app like CleanMyMac X that does exactly what macOS does — detects useless files — but unlike macOS, lets you remove them quickly.
Now, to remove purgeable space in just a few clicks:
- Download CleanMyMac X for free.
- Go to the Maintenance tab.
- Choose Free Up Purgeable Space.
- Hit Run.
Once you’ve reclaimed purgeable space, use CleanMyMac’s Smart Scan tool to remove junk files, speed up the system and scan your Mac for malware — all in one go.
Also, it’s a good idea to clear your browser extensions, old Wi-Fi connections, and apps you don’t use once in a while. Simply in a form of general Mac system hygiene.
About Catalina Mac
That’s about all you need to know about what is purgeable space on Mac, so we hope this article has been of help. macOS is a great addition to Mac, we’re glad it has space-saving features and other cool stuff (Siri!) but it could’ve been a bit clearer to users, that’s for sure. Anyway, have a good day and keep your Mac clean.